Social Studies COLOR
al Studie
oci
Chinese Beliefs
2
S
s Key Words
Color About Colors Complete the sentences with the key words.
Before You Read
White has different meanings to different cultures. What
does white mean to the people in each picture?
symbol represents mysterious
notice celebrations belief
Western brides
traditionally 1. Each national flag a country.
wear white.
2. I didn’t the gum and stepped on it.
3. A heart shape is a common of love.
4. There is a entrance into the garden.
5. You can see amazing fireworks at Chinese New Year .
6. The Chinese have a strong that the color red brings good luck.
People from Background Knowledge
some Asian cultures wear China
white at a funeral. China has a long history going back thousands of years.
It has a rich culture, and it is known for its food, arts and
crafts, and festivals.
14 Lesson 2 • Chinese Beliefs About Colors 15
Social Studies COLOR
Green was the color of spring, and it represented
energy and strength. White was a symbol of brightness
and purity. It also symbolized death, so people wore white
when loved ones died. Yellow was considered to be the
20 most beautiful color. As it was a symbol of the earth’s
rulers, the Chinese kings wore yellow and lived under
Chinese Beliefs yellow roofs.
About Colors 02 Some of these beliefs remain to this day, and the
Chinese continue to follow them. What do colors mean to
your culture? Are they similar to the examples above?
Different Colors, Different Meanings
25
the sixth emperor of the Qing
Words 224 Dynasty
Focus When you see colors, some feelings or images may Connect to Yourself
What colors are special come to mind. You may think of nature, danger, good Which color has a special meaning in your culture?
for the Chinese?
luck, or bad luck. For cultures around the world, colors
are symbols. Their meanings, though, are not the same
5 in each culture. For the Chinese, some colors have a
special meaning. It’s well known that they think of red as
good luck, but what about the other colors?
The Chinese believed that black was the color of
the heavens, because they noticed that the northern
Forbidden City
10 sky was often strangely black. This old belief became (Palace Museum),
Beijing, China
a saying: “heaven and earth of mysterious black.” Red
was the color of good fortune and joy. Therefore, it was
red envelopes
seen everywhere during celebrations such as weddings,
birthdays, and the New Year. People gave money as gifts
15 in red envelopes as well.
16 Lesson 2 • Chinese Beliefs About Colors 17
Reading Comprehension raphic Organizer & Summary
A. Choose the best answer.
Step 1 Organize the information with a ~ e from the box.
Main idea 1. What is this passage mainly about?
a. why colors are special around the world
Chinese Beliefs About Colors
b. what certain colors meant to the Chinese
c. how every country has the same beliefs about colors
d. how colors showed a person’s social position in China
Detail 2. Which color did the Chinese usually wear when their loved ones died?
a. black b. green
c. white d. yellow
Detail 3. What did the color yellow mean to the Chinese?
a. It was the color of the sun.
b. It was a symbol of the earth’s rulers.
a the heavens
c. It was a symbol of energy and strength.
b the earth’s rulers
d. It was the color of brightness and purity. c energy and strength
d good fortune and joy
Inference 4. What can be inferred from this passage about ancient China?
e brightness, purity, and death
a. People wore green clothes in winter.
b. Little girls had to wear white dresses.
c. People wore red clothes on happy occasions.
Step 2 Complete the summary with the words from the box.
d. People could not wear black or yellow clothes.
Vocabulary 5. Which can replace the word “strangely” in line 10?
Certain colors had symbolic meaning to the Chinese. For instance, black
a. regularly b. especially
c. unusually d. wonderfully was considered the color of the heavens . Red was seen as a(n)
color and could be seen at special . Green was a(n)
B. Answer the questions. symbol of energy and strength, representing the season of spring .
1. What gifts did the Chinese usually give at a celebration? White was the color of death, but also symbolized purity. Yellow
They gave red envelopes with money inside. was a symbol of kings and considered to be the most beautiful color. These
2. When did the Chinese start to believe that black was the color of the heavens? have remained until today.
When they noticed that the northern sky was
often strangely black. representing symbol beliefs heavens color
events considered spring lucky yellow
3. What did the color green represent to the people?
18 Lesson 2 • Chinese Beliefs About Colors 19
